Bordeaux Insight: Chateau d’Issan’s Silky Progression

Although the Château d'Issan Margaux 2022 is JamesSuckling.com’s reigning Wine of the Year, a more compelling reason to revisit the past 10 vintages from this classic, third-growth Bordeaux estate is to highlight the Margaux property's remarkable consistency over the past two to three decades.

And because of its relatively sensible prices, Chateau d’Issan represents one of the region’s greatest values – not to mention being one of the most reliable names in Bordeaux in terms of drinkability and collectability.

The estate has been led by Emmanuel Cruse since 1998, when he took charge at just 30 years of age. Shortly thereafter, d’Issan began to modernize: a new chai was completed in 1999, along with smaller stainless-steel tanks and additional sorting tables. The improvements did not transform the estate overnight, but they helped set the stage for a steady rise in quality.

My own first memorable encounter with d’Issan came about a dozen years ago with the 2008 vintage. It struck me then for its restraint and class: scented dark currants, blue fruit, mineral nuance and floral lift. 2008 was also attractively priced – indeed, it was among the lowest-priced wines coming from any en primeur vintage over the past few decades, largely because it was released against the backdrop of the global financial crisis that year.

Such a great wine at so reasonable a price made for a great investment story. The investment upside for en primeur purchases is less obvious now than in 2008, but Bordeaux lovers will always ask the same question: Which vintages are best to buy for future drinking, and which are the best for eventual resale? Could the 2025 vintage be the best of both worlds?  We will find out soon.

First, let’s look at the Chateau d’Issan wines over the last decade. What I admire in the d’Issan wines are their readily apparent delineation and precision, and in the vertical tasting I conducted last August, the 2020 captured those qualities better than any other wine in the lineup. In my notes, I wrote that it may be even more compelling than the slightly richer, more concentrated 2022 – a vintage Cruse himself described as a “milestone” for the estate, before we recognized it as our Wine of the Year.

The 2020, although not as concentrated as 2022, is a muscular expression of d’Issan but also restrained and classic, with deep, fresh blue fruit, a touch of violet and a stronger sense of definition than most. It was also the first vintage to include varieties beyond cabernet sauvignon and merlot: 3 percent cabernet franc, 2 percent petit verdot and 1 percent malbec.

Cruse explained that the change followed the 2019 acquisition of a small nearby property, Chateau Pontac Lynch, which included a parcel bordering Chateau Margaux and Palmer. That plot contained old-vine cabernet franc planted in 1958, petit verdot planted in 1948 and malbec planted in 2010. Several neighboring estates, especially Palmer, were said to be interested, but in the end, it was Cruse who secured the deal.

Cruse’s initial interest in the parcel was driven by the prospect of massal selection from its old petit verdot vines – he believes petit verdot can act as a structural and aromatic booster for Chateau d’Issan’s wines. His consultant, Eric Boissenot, also persuaded him – through blind tasting – of the value of a tiny proportion of malbec in the final blend. Since then, a 1 percent to 2 percent malbec infusion has become a mainstay.

The 2022 (the tasting notes for both the 2022 and 2023, below, are James Suckling’s), tasted very impressive in the glass. It is clearly the denser and the most structured wine of the 10, and is arguably the most full-throttle. This is a bottle that will reward patience, gaining harmony as its tannins soften with age.

READ MORE BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR 2025 SPECIAL REPORT

The 2018 and 2019 are both excellent, classically styled d’Issans, although each leans toward the darker graphite notes that I more often associate with Pauillac and the northern Medoc, which tend to be a bit more austere than the richer, perfumed Margaux offerings. Of the two, 2019 is the more structured, while 2018 shows a little more flesh and density, perhaps helped by its slightly higher proportion of merlot.

All the older-vintage wines from the tasting are ready to drink, although the ones discussed above can also be opened with confidence, especially the beautifully balanced 2020. The 2014 is beginning to show secondary development and earthy nuance, making it particularly appealing to drinkers who enjoy quasi-mature Bordeaux. The 2016 stands out for its balance and elegance, while the 2015 remains the more tannic of the pair, shaped by a warmer, drier summer and an easy harvest in Margaux.

In many ways, Cruse compared the duo of 2015 and 2016 to 2009 and 2010. In recent Left Bank verticals, I have often preferred the finesse and poise of 2016 to the slightly more structured and potent 2015, though in the end it can be just a matter of personal taste. More broadly and importantly, one of the strengths of modern Bordeaux is that many great wines can now be enjoyed earlier, and they then continue to evolve very slowly over a decade or more – without necessarily becoming prohibitively expensive.

– Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. You can sort the wines below by vintage and score. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.